CAFA

Between September 2015 and December 2016 I’ve taught introductory courses Sound, Space, Process to undergraduate students of the Experimental Media department and School of Design of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Through weekly lectures, workshops, assignment and tutoring we discussed subjects as;

Listening & Fieldrecording; Acoustics & Sound Theory; Concrete Music; Sound Poetry; Mappings with the visual & the spatial; Process based works; Site Specific & Intervention works; Soundwalks; Indeterminism & Non linear procedures

Lectures included introduction of concepts and methods, a first analysis and contextualisation of the practice and works of, a.o. Toshiya Tsunoda, World Soundscape Project, Alvin Lucier, Maurizio Martusciello, Henri Chopin, Christian Wolff, Dick Raaijmakers, Justin Bennett, Milan Knizak, Gordon Monahan, David Dunn, Steve Reich, Georg Klein, Sam Auinger, John Cage.

Lectures were followed by workshops and group/individual assignments, such as; listening exercise, field recording of specific events, recording and analysis of acoustic responses, montage of concrete sound materials, using cut up technique applied to text samples and vocal sounds, developing and installing a simple sound intervention on site, developing a prose score, developing a graphical score, realising a interpretation of ‘Stones’ by Christian Wolff, re-enacting ‘Pendulum Music’ by Steve Reich, creating value-tables with John Cage’s Variations II. Results of the exercises were presented and discussed amongst students, as were topics and questions of students personal practices.

Objectives of the courses were to enable students to trace historic developments within sound art & performance art practice, to provide students with a basic conceptual understanding and practical knowledge of both aesthetic and working principles at hand.

The courses drew on subjects, methodologies and concepts primarily coming from sound art and experimental music practice, though frequently branched out into wider applications of sound, acoustics, music within the visual arts, performance art and (spatial) design. At all times a cross disciplinary approach was followed and encouraged. No student requirements to participate in the courses were necessary.

For inquiries concerning my teaching and more detailed information, please contact.